Fans of the tokusatsu genre of Japan will almost immediately recognize the towering awesomeness of Ultraman, beings of pure light that manifest in the real world to fight forces of darkness. Through various protagonists that become hosts, various kinds of Ultramen become Earth’s last hope against numerous threats that even the world’s best militaries couldn’t fathom fighting.
However, with more than 30 Ultraman series to sift through since the first Ultra Q aired in 1966, newcomers and savants of the franchise might have a hard time choosing which series to rewatch or even watch first. Just which are the best Ultraman series and films for newcomers to the tokusatsu franchise?
10 Ultraman (1966)
Despite being the second title in the Ultra series, it’s Ultraman that first introduced the eponymous character in the franchise. At its core, the first Ultraman series begins when Ultraman, a giant alien from Nebula M78’s Land of Light, crashes on Earth in pursuit of a space monster. Unfortunately, he hits a jet piloted by Shin Hayata, whose life becomes in danger. To save his life, Ultraman bonds with him and enlists his assistance to fight various forms of aliens on Earth.
Fortunately for Ultraman, Hayata is already a part of such a team, the Science Special Search Party, which is tasked to protect Earth against extraterrestrial threats. It’s this “mystery of the week” format mixed with fighting giant aliens that the first Ultraman series experiments with, and eventually succeeds in exploring as its unique tokusatsu formula.
9 Ultraseven (1967)
A lot of fans consider Ultraseven as perhaps the most popular in the franchise due to its impact overall, and how its approach to the Ultraman formula practically cemented tropes and traditions in the franchise. This marks the first appearance of Ultraseven, one of the most powerful and influential Ultra to have ever existed in the franchise. Such was his popularity that Ultraseven periodically makes appearances in sequel shows as a guide or a mentor!
At its core, the story of Ultraseven takes place not far into the future when the Terrestrial Defense Force has created the technologically-advanced Ultra Guard to fight alien threats. And in the direst situations, the mysterious Dan Moroboshi appears and transforms into Ultraseven, an Ultra tasked to protect the Earth. Dan has to balance keeping up a facade as a human while finding ways to transform into Ultraseven to defend his peers and new home - a welcome tradition to the franchise.
8 Ultraman Tiga (1996)
A lot of Ultraman fans today know that an Ultra may have the ability to transform into a myriad of forms, giving them access to new power sets. However, this tradition among Ultraman series didn’t begin until Ultraman Tiga, the series to first feature an Ultra with the ability to switch various forms.
In the series, the Ultra Tiga protected the Ultra-Ancient Civilization some 30-million years ago. After the civilization died out, Tiga himself became a stone statue. Daigo Madoka, a pilot from GUTS who possessed genetics similar to beings of light, merges with him. Unfortunately, while Ultraman Tiga can use Daigo as a host to protect Earth, a dimensional tear has also transformed Earth into a nexus of various alien threats. It’s this mystery element combined with the iconic appearance of Ultraman Tiga that made him an iconic “modern Ultraman” of the 90s.
7 Ultraman R/B (2018)
Series newcomers who want to explore Ultraman in the context of a family might want to give Ultraman R/B a shot. In this series, brothers Katsumi and Isami Minato are as brotherly as anyone would expect - rowdy, conflicting at times, but always having each other’s backs. Unfortunately, a terrible encounter with a monster almost kills them, but are saved by the arrival of mysterious transformation trinkets. As they transform into Ultraman Rosso and Blu, Katsumi and Isami Minato are now tasked to save Earth from a new threat.
Unlike other Ultraman series, Ultraman R/B heavily explores the potential dynamic of brothers as a pair of Ultra heroes, instead of having just one protagonist and one deuteragonist. Considering the serious nature of the Minatos being Earth’s new defenders, Ultraman R/B can become surprisingly mature at times despite its nature as a children’s show.
6 Ultraman Mebius (2006)
Timeline gaps are always an interesting way to reintroduce a franchise to new fans, and Ultraman Mebius uses this formula successfully. In the story, Ultraman Mebius is apparently the first Ultra to have come to Earth in the last two decades, having chosen Mirai Hibino as his host. Unfortunately, his arrival also marked the return of space monsters, who have also mysteriously disappeared for the past two decades.
While trying to solve this mystery, Mirai becomes entangled in the affairs of both the Inter Galactic Defense Force and the Earth’s Defense Organization, GUYS. It’s Ultraman Mebius and its attention to character dynamics that make this Ultraman series quite unique.
5 Ultraman Z (2020)
Generations easily become a highlight in the Ultra series, especially when some Ultra are introduced as relatives or friends of predecessors. In the case of Ultraman Z, the eponymous Ultraman Z is in fact the disciple (self-proclaimed, anyway) of Ultraman Zero himself! At its core, powerful devil’s splinters all across space are sowing chaos through mysterious means - something the Ultras couldn’t notice as they were busy protecting the galaxy.
However, it seems a sinister force has been using these splinters to consume entire planets and have set their sights on the Ultra’s home, the Land of Light. Thankfully, Ultraman Zero and his student, Ultraman Z, have been trying to find the source of this threat. When Ultraman Z chases a monster to Earth, he bonds with the hot-blooded Haruki Natsukawa, and thus begins their story of saving the world.
4 Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga (2021)
The most recent entry in the Ultraman franchise is also the most unique in terms of setting, as Ultraman Trigger: New Generation Tiga takes place not just in the far future, but in a future where Mars has transformed into a colonized planet. In its past, a Giant of Light defended the Earth from a terrifying darkness until its power exhaustion forced it to sleep. And when the same darkness has shown signs of its return, the same Giant of Light - Ultraman Trigger - uses Mars-based botanist Kengo Manaka as his new host.
While the series has all the tell-tale signs of an Ultraman series, New Generation Tiga has a deeper approach to the mythology of the Ultraman franchise. From franchise staples such as a GUTS-based team and concepts of Light and Darkness, New Generation Tiga is a richer take on the Ultraman franchise, lore-wise.
3 Ultraman Ginga (2013)
New fans of the franchise looking for a quick introduction to some of the most popular Ultras in the franchise might want to add Ultraman Ginga to their watchlist. Existing as some sort of a love letter to its predecessor series, Ultraman Ginga begins at the climax of the so-called Dark Spark Wars that transformed all aliens, monsters, and even Ultras, into miniature Spark Dolls that its possessors could use as a power source. Protagonist Hikaru Raido would come to possess the Ginga Spark, allowing him to become Ultraman Ginga.
Unfortunately for Hikaru, his discovery of the Ginga Spark will thrust him into a race against time to ensure other evildoers don’t get their hands on various Spark Dolls. Along the way, Hikaru would discover the legacy of the other Ultras that existed on Earth and even use their powers to augment his abilities as Ultraman Ginga. It’s this callback element, and ability to use some of the trademark abilities of the previous Ultra, that makes Ginga quite the appealing show.
2 Ultraman Orb (2016)
Fans looking for a more serious take on an anniversary series might want to look at Ultraman Orb, a celebration of both 20 Years since the hit Ultraman Tiga and 50 Years since the first Ultraman show. In the series, Naomi Yumeno created the “Something Search People” website in the hopes of tracking supernatural phenomena. Unfortunately for her, this relentless search for supernatural incidents would have her face to face against a horrifying monster. Naomi would’ve died on the spot had it not been for the mysterious Gai Kurenai who transforms into the being known as Ultraman Orb.
In Ultraman Orb, there’s a particular emphasis on how Gai Kurenai “earns” the respect of other Ultras he encounters throughout the series and how he manages to use their powers through fusion. There’s also a segment after each episode where Gai himself explains the various aliens and Ultras he interacts with, giving newcomers a great crash course into the series’ rich history in each episode.
1 Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absolute Conspiracy (2020)
Newcomers to the Ultra series who want a more serious take on the lives of the Ultras might want to check out Ultra Galaxy Fight: The Absolute Conspiracy, an Ultra Fight miniseries featuring different Ultras across different timelines. Despite its grandiose premise, fans might be intrigued to see how this spin-off attempts to combine various continuities with an overarching plot.
At its core, the spin-off introduces the mysterious Absolutian race and their interactions with the Ultras, as well as the aggressive “The Kingdom” faction within the Absolutians that seem to be up to no good. This would eventually force some of the franchise’s most iconic Ultras to band together and form the Ultra League, dedicated to stopping the Kingdom as their goals start to threaten the very fabric of the universe.